1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water-in-oil (W/O) type emulsified fat composition containing specific diglycerides in a high concentration and suitable for use as a margarine, fat spread, etc.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is becoming clear that diglycerides have a function of being less likely to become body fat. See JP-A 4-300826. In order to ingest diglycerides in an effective amount through daily foods processed with fats, it is necessary to produce a fat-processed food containing diglycerides in a high concentration.
An example of a W/O type emulsified fat composition in which the oily phase contains diglycerides is disclosed in JP-A 63-301743. This reference shows a stable emulsion obtained by adding a solid fat to diglycerides which have a melting point of lower than 20.degree. C., most of which are liquid at ordinary temperature. However, a margarine actually prepared according to this reference has the drawback that it has poor spreadability on a slice of bread.
On the other hand, JP-A 61-63242, corresponding to GB-A 8,418,154 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,045, describes a margarine containing diglycerides containing a fat which is solid at ordinary temperature. In this margarine, however, the diglyceride content in the oily phase is low, 5% to 30% and 10% to 20% of diglycerides in the oily phase impart a butter-like texture. EP-A 417,562 shows that the stability of a W/O type emulsion containing a phospholipid is improved by incorporating diglycerides into the oily phase.
However, those prior W/O type emulsified fat compositions, when formulated as margarines or the like, have poor stability and unsatisfactory spreadability.